Superbug company Germ Warfare hops from Lancashire to Isle of Man

Superbug killing products company Germ Warfare, which turned down £120,000 of
investment in Dragons' Den, is moving from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, to the
Isle of Man after being offered extensive grants.

Got the bug: Germ Warfare has been enticed across the water to the Isle of Man by grants handed out from the Manx governmentPhoto: Reuters

By Richard Tyler

4:21PM BST 24 Aug 2009

Germ founder Paul Ward, who impressed Dragon James Caan so much that he offered to invest, will see up to 40pc of his capital investment, property and marketing expenses paid for this year.

"We have gone to the Isle of Man because of their IT set up, which will help us reach a worldwide market," he said. "Where we are at the moment we have lots of trouble with broadband."

The former Royal Army Medical Corp medic added: "The Isle of Man [government] are also fantastic. It's 100pc the grants from them to help us set up. R&D (research and development) and marketing; everything a small business would need they have offered to us."

Germ, which employs six people, is setting up its sales operations on the island and plans to relocate its new product development and its manufacturing.

Mr Ward will remain in Skelmersdale, using Liverpool airport to commute and as a result will not benefit from the island's low rate of personal income tax.

Germ has developed a range of cleaning products that kill harmful bacteria like c.difficile spore and MRSA as well as swine flu at hand temperature and without the use of chemicals that can cause irritation to the skin.

Launched in January 2008 it sold £500,000 worth of cleaning agents into doctor surgeries, large employers like Royal Bank of Scotland, and to shoppers online.

Adrian Moore, from the Isle of Man Department of Trade and Industry, said: "We have lots of people coming to us with inquiries about support, often because they have tried to approach their regional development agency and found it difficult to access the right person."

He added: "We don't want name plates on offices. If Paul comes over and creates jobs on the island that's a valuable thing for us."